Colored Petri Net Simulation Model to Allocate Motor Graders for Earthmoving Operations

Earthmoving processes are extremely important for road construction because of the high costs involved. Discrete-event simulation has been used as a decision-support tool for earthworks planning and operation in the last few decades; however, less attention has been paid to leveling processes, despite their practical importance. This paper aims at presenting a colored Petri net (CPN) model for the allocation of motor graders in earthmoving operations. The proposed approach was implemented on CPN Tools and addressed several factors, such as the experience of operators and the probabilistic nature of the operation. A case study in a real-world problem is presented, with a simulation of 46 types of motor graders and 3 types of crews. The results indicate that significant gains may be achieved in terms of the reduction of operational costs and planning time through the application of the proposed model. (C) 2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.